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Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on September 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Cooking for one is tough, but cooking for one while you are on a student budget is even more challenging. To make sure my daughter is eating a healthy diet while she is away at college, I’ll occasionally ask her what she’s cooking for dinner. Last week she told me she made a pasta dish with Portobello mushrooms. Thick and “meaty” Portobello mushrooms are good nutritious alternatives to eating meat and they cost less, too. She’s a smart cook who likes good food, but can still eat healthily on a budget.

Portobello or Portabella mushrooms are one and the same and are merely large (4-6 inches) brown crimini mushrooms. According to the Self Nutrition Data site, a Portobello mushroom ” . . . is low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Zinc and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Selenium.”

When purchasing Portobello mushrooms, look for ones that are firm and without spots or discoloration. Avoid mushrooms that are broken, shriveled, or have a wet and slippery feeling. Whole mushrooms will remain fresh for 5-7 days if stored properly. Sliced mushrooms have a shorter shelf life. To prevent loss of flavor, avoid washing Portobello mushrooms in water before cooking them. Wiping them gently with a damp cloth or brushing them lightly with a cooking brush will remove any sand or debris.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad
Adapted from a Gourmet Magazine recipe

Salad Ingredients:
4 large portobello mushrooms
6 oz. mixed salad greens

Sherry Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/3 C medium-dry sherry
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced shallot
1 T sugar
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C vegetable oil
3 T finely chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, sage and chives

Directions:
1. In a very small pot, boil sherry until reduced by about half. Let cool.
2. In a bowl whisk together sherry reduction, balsamic vinegar, garlic, shalllot, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Add oils in a stream, whisking until emulsified.
4. Whisk in herbs.
5. Reserve 1/4 cup vinaigrette for dressing salad greens.
6. Transfer remaining vinaigrette to a large sealable plastic bag.
7. Remove and discard stems from mushrooms. Add mushrooms to bag; remove air and seal bag.
8. Marinate mushrooms in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to 2 hours while occasionally turning the bag to redistribute marinade.
9. Remove mushrooms from bag, letting the excess vinaigrette drip off.
10. Grill on hot grill for about 5 minutes on each side or until done. Let set for a few minutes and then slice.
11. In a bowl toss salad greens with reserved vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 plates or or place in shallow serving bowl.
12. Transfer sliced mushrooms to plates or place slices on top of greens in the shallow serving bowl.

Serves 4.

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Quinoa Salad With Tomatoes and Basil

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on September 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

How fortunate it is that tomatoes and basil both thrive in summer heat. When it’s too hot to cook, salads make frequent appearances on the dinner menu in my house and with the bounty of tomatoes and basil outside in the garden, who could resist not finding as many ways as possible to use these two summer favorites? It only gets better – here’s a recipe that combines tomatoes and basil with the healthy goodness of quinoa. In an earlier post Quinoa and Shrimp Salad, I explained why quinoa is a nutritional gem; these tiny seeds contain a balanced set of essential amino acids, making them complete proteins, and are a great gluten-free source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and iron.

Quinoa Salad With Tomatoes and Basil
Adapted from a recipe by Rachel Venokur-Clark

Salad Ingredients:
1 C quinoa
1/2 red onion, diced
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), diced
1/2 C fresh basil, chopped
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted

Dressing Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 T white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Measure quinoa into a sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add quinoa. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Set aside and let cool.

2. Whisk together all dressing ingredients, except for the olive oil. Pour oil in a small stream into the the bowl of dressing ingredients, whisking the whole time to form an emulsion. Set aside.

3. Toast the pine nuts in a pan until lightly browned and fragrant. While toasting, keep an eye on them and stir them occasionally so that they don’t burn. Let cool.

4. To the cooked and cooled quinoa, add diced onion, diced tomatoes, diced sun-dried tomatoes, and diced basil. Toss gently.

5. Whisk salad dressing again and pour over salad ingredients. Toss again.

6. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4-6.

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Sweet Potato Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on August 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Creamy potato salad is standard food fare for outdoor summer gatherings, but after consuming it, possibly the only thing gathering in your body is cholesterol. Here’s a potato salad recipe that is low in cholesterol and is easy to make. Plus, it uses sweet potatoes, which are packed with vitamins A and C, and contain almost twice as much dietary fiber than their more common counterparts – white potatoes. Utilizing the clean flavor of grapeseed oil and the fresh flavor of oranges, this sweet potato salad is bright in flavor and light in cholesterol. You won’t miss the mayonnaise, sour cream, and eggs!

Sweet Potato Salad
A Martha Stewart Recipe

Ingredients:
* 4 medium sweet potatoes (3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces (8 cups)
* 3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
* 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
* 1 scallion, trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 cup safflower or grapeseed oil
* 1/2 scallion (dark-green part only), thinly sliced diagonally for garnish

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, and return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Whisk vinegar, orange zest and juice, 1 scallion, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with pepper. Toss dressing with sweet potatoes in a large bowl, and garnish with remaining 1/2 scallion. Refrigerate until chilled, up to 1 day.

Serves 4.

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Spaghetti Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on August 25, 2010| 2 Comments »

Here’s another quick summertime dish that’s a wonderful accompaniment to grilled meats or is perfect by itself for lunch. It’s a pasta salad that involves only a few steps to make, is full of flavor, tastes better the next day, makes use of sweet summer produce, and is great to take to potlucks or picnics. What more could anyone want? It’s been almost thirty years since I clipped this recipe out of a small town, local newspaper, but it has stood the test of time. I’m asked for this recipe just as frequently now as I was when I first started preparing it!

Spaghetti Salad
Adapted by Linnell

Ingredients:
1 pound package spaghetti
8 oz. Wishbone Italian Dressing
McCormick’s Salad Supreme
1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 orange or yellow pepper, diced
2-3 oz. black olives, sliced

Directions:
1.  Sprinkle 1/4 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix into the bottle of Wishbone dressing and shake to mix. Let sit. Seal the remainder of the package for use at another time.

2.  Cook the spaghetti noodles until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Pour on the salad dressing while the noodles are still warm. Toss.

3. Add tomatoes, onion, peppers, and olives. Toss. Sprinkle 1/3 jar (or to taste) Salad Supreme and toss again. Chill until serving.

Note: I’ve found this recipe to be adaptable and forgiving. It’s difficult to botch it up and almost anything can be added to it. For variety, I’ve added a combination of the following ingredients to create an antipasto-type salad: quartered artichoke hearts (marinated or packed in water), diced pepperoncini, sliced mushrooms, and salami, cut into thin strips.

Hope this recipe stays in your recipe files as long as it has stayed in mine! Enjoy!

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Toffee Bars

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on August 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Take butter and sugar and add chocolate and nuts. Mmm . . . have I aroused your sweet tooth and gotten your attention, yet? Although there are innumerable variations of toffee, the four ingredients just mentioned are pretty much it for toffee purists. But by adding two more ingredients to the mix, you can transform toffee candy into delicious toffee bars. This recipe produces a toffee bar that falls somewhere between a candy and a cookie. I much prefer the the crunch of these toffee bars over the cake-like texture of blonde brownies or the sweet snap of toffee candy.

I received this recipe over thirty years ago from one of my sister’s college roommates. Since then it has become one of my go-to recipes for bake sales and potlucks. My husband likes crumbling these toffee bars over a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent dessert. Enjoy!

Toffee Bars
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 C chopped walnuts
1 – 6 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I mix semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate chips together)

Directions:
1. Thoroughly cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla.
2. Add flour slowly and mix well.
3. Stir in chocolate and walnuts.
4. Press mixture into an ungreased 9″ by 13″ pan. The layer of dough will be thin.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cut into squares while warm and still in pan. Cool before serving.

Makes 5 dozen.

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Melon Spritzers

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on August 4, 2010| 2 Comments »

Fresh vine-ripened melons from the farmer’s market sit on my kitchen counter and stare at me. I’ve enjoyed their sweet deliciousness all summer long and can’t seem to get enough of them. My dilemma today involved finding a different way to showcase them, so here’s a recipe that is sure to quench your thirst on a hot day or be a big hit at your next summer brunch. If you prepare the fruit base ahead of time, it’s easy to have a melon spritzer any time of the day! This is the season when honeydews, cantaloupes, and watermelons shine, but make sure you don’t miss out on the sweet flavors of the Hannah, Ambrosia, and Galia melons! Don’t like melons? No problem – this recipe can be made with any kind of fresh fruit with only slight adjustments in the quantity of fruit.

Melon Spritzers
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda*
6-8 cups of cubed fresh melon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of coarse salt
Sparkling water or club soda

*Depending on the sweetness of your fruit, you may need to increase or decrease the amount of sugar.

Directions:
1. Cut melon into cubes. Measure out about 6 cups and put in blender. Lay remaining cubes flat in a single layer in a container and freeze.

2. Create a syrup by putting sugar/Splenda and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to completely dissolve the sugar/Splenda. Remove pan from heat and let it cool slightly.

2. Puree fruit, syrup, lemon juice, and salt in a blender. Depending on the volume of fruit, you may need to do this step in two batches.

3. Pour blended mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir contents in sieve if fruit puree is thick. Refrigerate collected pureed juice until cold (30 minutes minimum or up to 2 days maximum).

4. To serve, fill glass with ice, pour 1/2 cup of pureed juice into glass and top off with sparkling water. Stir to combine. Stick a decorative pick into a frozen melon cube and place it in the glass. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

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Papaya Seed Salad Dressing

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on July 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Food always seems to taste better when you’re in Hawaii. Exotic tropical flavors refresh our senses and remove us from our gastronomic ruts. Here’s a salad dressing recipe that has Hawaiian origins, but can easily be made in anyone’s home. Not only is it a cinch to make, it uses normally wasted parts of a papaya – its seeds. Papaya seeds have a slightly bitter and peppery taste which adds an interesting element to the sweet-sour base of the dressing.

My sister, who is a fabulous cook, gave this recipe to me decades ago. She was my “go-to” source for recipes when I was a young bride, and sometimes even now.

Papaya Seed Salad Dressing:
Ingredients:
1 cup tarragon vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup salad oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons fresh papaya seeds, rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Cut the papaya in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds into a bowl. (If not using immediately, cover the bowl and put the seeds in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the salad dressing – hopefully within a day or two).

2. Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Papaya seeds will resemble ground black pepper flakes.

3. Pour into a glass jar and chill for at least one hour before serving.

4. Shake or stir before serving.

Don’t forget to eat the papaya! Put each papaya half on a plate and serve it with a wedge of lime. There’s nothing quite like the fresh taste of papaya and lime! With their buttery flesh, papayas are not only delicious to eat, they are also an excellent source of antioxidants (carotene, vitamin C, and flavonoids), B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and fiber.

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Double Tomato Bruschetta

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on July 26, 2010| 2 Comments »

Bruschetta is a popular appetizer and snack served in central Italy. During the summer months, bruschetta (which is pronounced bruus-ket-ta) appears on many restaurant and home menus thanks to the arrival of vine-ripened summer tomatoes and fragrant basil. At a recent family gathering, one of my sister-in-laws brought a bruschetta that was different than most I’d had before. Her recipe uses two different types of tomatoes – vine-ripened Roma tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. I love the intense tomato flavor that this bruschetta offers! Buon appetito!

Double Tomato Bruschetta
Allrecipes is the original source of this recipe.

Ingredients:
* 6 roma (plum) tomatoes or other fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
* 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 French baguette
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine the fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for a minimum of 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
3. Chiffonade the basil by stacking the leaves, rolling them together lengthwise (like a cigar), and then cutting across the roll to create thin ribbons. Add to tomato mixture.
4. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
5. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
6. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Makes 12 servings.

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Asian Coleslaw

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on July 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Crisp and colorful are words that easily describe this salad. Two bright colors of cabbage are combined with vibrant greens of pea pods and green onions and then topped off with the textures of Shitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, and toasted almonds. Drizzle and toss with an Asian vinaigrette and you have the perfect Asian summer salad! This is my adaptation of a recipe I received from a sister-in-law more than a decade ago. Enjoy!

Asian Coleslaw

Ingredients for Salad:
4 cups green cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons
1 cup red cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons
1 cup fresh Shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 cup snow pea pods, sliced thinly on diagonal
1- 8 ounce can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Ingredients for Asian Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
2-3 teaspoons sesame oil
2-3 teaspoons minced ginger root
pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients into a glass jar and set aside to allow flavors to meld.

2. Cut cabbages into quarters and slice off core. Thinly slice each quarter into very thin ribbons. Measure and put into large bowl. Note: You will have more cabbage than you will need. Reserve it for another dish or make a double batch.

3. Slice the stems off the Shitake mushrooms and discard them. Slice the mushrooms into thin slices and add to bowl. Note: if you cannot find fresh Shitake mushrooms, you can rehydrate dried Shitake mushrooms instead.

4. Slice the snow pea pods into diagonal strips and add to bowl.

5. Drain can of water chestnuts and add to bowl. Note: Even though I buy sliced water chestnuts, I sometimes slice these into strips to keep all ingredients uniform in appearance. Whether I do this or not is usually dependent on how much time I have!

6. Slice green onions and add to bowl.

7. To bring out their flavor, toast sliced almonds by spreading them out in a baking pan and toasting them at 350 degrees for about five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Cool completely before adding to salad. Note: If you don’t like almonds, you can always sprinkle the salad with toasted sesame seeds.

8. Toss salad components together. Shake jar of vinaigrette and pour a small amount on top of salad ingredients. Toss. Add more vinaigrette if necessary. Note: You will likely have leftover vinaigrette.

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Limelight Cheesecake

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on July 12, 2010| 3 Comments »

A bag of limes sits in my refrigerator waiting for me to decide whether to whip up some limey confection or to drink a couple of Corona beers. Since it’s only 9:30 in the morning, I opt for the first choice. Here’s a recipe I tested from an ancient newspaper clipping I found in one of the stacks referred to in my “Attack the Stack!” post.

This recipe makes a light, refreshing, creamy cheesecake. It’s easy to make – especially if you use a store bought graham cracker crust and aerosol whipped cream! Sometimes practicality and time constraints need to push aside food snobbery and perfectionism! If you use a store bought crust instead of a springform pan, you will have a little extra filling leftover. No worries, just put it into a little ramekin, chill, garnish, and you have a little lime dessert for one!

LIMELIGHT CHEESECAKE
(Original source unknown – adapted by Linnell)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C butter or margarine, melted
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 T grated lime peel
3/4 C fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
1 package (1 T) unflavored gelatin
1/4 C water
1 C whipping cream, whipped (for filling)
Additional whipped cream for garnish
Lime slices for garnish

Directions:
Whip 1 cup of whipping cream and set aside in the refrigerator. Combine graham crackers crumbs and butter. Press into 8-1/2-inch springform pan building up sides; chill. In mixing bowl beat cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lime peel and juice. Soften gelatin in water; warm over low heat to dissolve. Gradually stir into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust. Chill to set. Garnish with additional whipped cream and lime slices.

Makes 8-10 servings.

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